Ferrari reveals entry-level Roma coupe

FERRARI looks set to shoehorn a new entry-level “2+ coupe” beneath the Portofino drop-top with the Roma that broke cover overnight packing a 456kW front-mounted V8.

Pricing and launch timing is yet to be announced, but the Roma is tipped to provide the Prancing Horse with a direct competitor to the Aston Martin Vantage that sells in Australia from $299,950 plus on-road costs – and to which the Ferrari bears more than a passing resemblance.

Against incumbents in the $200K+ front-engined V8 coupe category, the Ferrari has a clear performance advantage with 456kW and 760Nm, 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds and a top speed north of 320km/h.

For comparison, the Vantage delivers 375kW and 685Nm from a 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 that is derived from the powerplant of a Mercedes-AMG GT. It is priced from $311,142 to $361,042 plus on-road costs, with engine output ranging from 384kW/670Nm to 430kW/700Nm.

The Aston does 0-100km/h in 3.6s on the way to a 314km/h v-max, while the most extreme AMG GT R variant matches the Vantage to triple digits but ekes out an extra 4km/h at the top end.

Ferrari’s Portofino cranks out 441kW/760Nm and is priced from $398,888 plus on-roads with a sophisticated folding metal roof, so the new Roma, with its simpler bodywork, could sit somewhere below that.

In addition to producing 15 more kilowatts than the Portofino, the Roma deploys the new eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle that debuted on the SF90 Stradale plug-in hybrid supercar that is Ferrari’s most powerful and technologically sophisticated production model to date.

The Roma is 0.1s quicker to 100km/h than the Portofino, which makes do with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and tops out at 320km/h.

It is the 0-200km/h benchmark where Roma has a distinct advantage over its drop-top stablemate, with the coupe completing the run in 9.3s against the Portofino’s 10.8s.

Accompanying a heavily processed set of photos is a brief press release describing the Roma – named after and revealed in the Italian capital – as featuring “refined proportions and timeless design combined with unparalleled performance and handling”.

“With its distinctive flair and style, the car is a contemporary representation of the carefree, pleasurable way of life that characterised Rome in the 1950s and ’60s.”

A sharp nose with discrete air intakes leads into clean, uncluttered bodywork that terminates in a broad, dramatically haunched rear end with narrow tail-lights inserted along a fold-like structure that serves as a subtle rear spoiler.

The Roma has an almost symmetrical cabin layout that appears to introduce a fresh dashboard architecture to the Ferrari line-up, with a new portrait-oriented tablet-style touchscreen and a floating centre console from which two metal trim hoops give the appearance of twin dashboards individually enveloping both front occupants.

What Ferrari is referring to with its ‘2+ coupe’ description remains a mystery as no shots of a second seating row have yet been issued.

It shares its 2670mm wheelbase with the Portofino, suggesting it could ride on the same platform, but at 1974mm between the mirrors is 64mm wider than the convertible and 21mm lower at 1301mm.

Ferrari sales are up 14.7 per cent in Australia year-to-date, with 226 deliveries earning it a 16.5 per cent share of the $200K+ sportscar segment. The Porsche 911 range dominates with 461 units YTD and a 33.7 per cent segment share.